Approximately 400 Nigerians have been deported from the United Arab Emirates and have returned to Nigeria.
Officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, in partnership with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other relevant entities welcomed the deportees at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to officials, “The group consists of 90 females and 310 males who have been deported from the UAE back to Nigeria.”
This repatriation comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the UAE, which have persisted for nearly two years. A significant factor in this strained relationship has been the UAE’s visa ban on Nigerians, which was implemented against the backdrop of various diplomatic disputes.
One notable conflict arose when Dubai’s Emirates Airline suspended flights to Nigeria due to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s inability to remit approximately $850 million in revenue owed to the UAE.
Despite these tensions, earlier reports suggested that both nations had agreed to lift travel restrictions on Nigerians. In July 2024, the UAE Government immediately lifted visa restrictions on Nigerian travellers.
